Railway car



Dec. 5, 1933. J ABEL 1,937,540

RAILWAY CAR Filed Dec. 8, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY J. C. ABEL RAILWAY CAR Dec. 5, 1933.

Filed Dec. 8, 19152 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 QZLUQ 51 ATTORNEY J. C. ABEL RAILWAY CAR Dec. 5, 1933.

Filed Dec. 8, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR t fmqafi db.

ATTORNE Patented Dec. 1933 P'AT'ENTOFFICE f UNITED STATES RAILWAY CAB Joseph C. Abel, Berwick, Pa., as's'ignor to Ameri j" can Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 8, 1932. Serial No. 646,219

7 Claims. (o1. 1051-377) 1 Another object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved adjustable roof for railway cars.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a gondola car having a running boardstructure arranged at substantially the longitudinal center line of the car body and adjustable means extending from said running board structure to the side walls of thecar for-providing a closure or roof for the car body.

Other objects and advantages 'of this inventionwill be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accom panying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the ;railway car of the present invention, certain parts thereof being shown broken away to disclose other parts in section and the'view showing the car roof; I I I Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22, Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of'a portion of the intermediate running board support shown in Fig. 2, the view showing the running board support'in side elevation;

Fig. 4 is'an end elevation of a portion of one end of thecar shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on' the line 55,

Fig. 2; e Fig. 6 is, a sectional view on the line 6-6,

: g I I e I V Fig; 'I is a side view of the construction shown in Fig. 6; I

Fig. Bis a side view showing in section a portion of one of the roof sections and showing,

inside elevation, the securing means for said section;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 8;

5 Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 10----10,

Fig. 4;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line 11-11, Fi 4; Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line 12-12, 'Fig..4;. I

Fig; 13 is a front view of the construction shown in Fig. 12; 5'

Fig.1! is a view showing the fastening means for the end closure means of the roof; r Fig. '15 is a plan view taken at the latitudinal running board, the supporting bracket for the latter being shown in section, the view showing the means for securing the roof section at this zone of the car; and v a Fig. 16 is a front view of the construction shown in'Fig. 15." 5

The drawings'show portions of a gondola car having center sills 2, side walls 4, end walls 6 and angle shaped top chords or rails 8 and 10 secured, respectively, to the upper portions of they 1 side and end walls. This gondola car may beof conventional design andthe center sills also include 'atop'cover plate indicated at 11: v

' The car of thep'resent invention is convertible from an open gondola-to a closed or box car, as I will be fully described hereinafter, and includes a running board-structure A as a-supportingand attaching means for the roo-f, this structure comprising spaced outwardly facing channels 12 extending the fulllength of the car body and sup-- ported at their end portions by upright support ing elements 14, a flanged plate in-the instance shown, connected to'the running board channels 12 in any'suitable manner and to the top chord or rail 10' of the .end walls by angle shaped-connectors ;16. Gussets 18'are secured to the flanges I V 19 of the supporting elements 14 and extend between said elements andthe channels 12 to stiffen the running board structure against end thrusts. Intermediate their ends the running .board channels 12 are supported from the car floor 20 by spaced uprights 22 connected to eachother'by bars 23 and to the car fioor by an angle 24. One a or. more of these intermediate running board supports may be provided throughout the length of the car as desired. I

The running board channels are provided witha cover plate 26 ;the side edge portions of which are downwardly flanged as shown at 28 to provide a water shed and to afford weather protection for'the area of attachment for the roof sections as pointed out more clearly hereinafter.- To plate 26 running board saddles 30 are fastened in any suitable manner on which are mounted the boards 32. At the end portions of the car latitudinal running board supports 34 are provided (see Fig. 4) comprising angles in the instance shown, oneend portion thereof being downwardly bent or flanged as aty36and secured to. brackets 38 connected to the top chords V 8 of theside walls. The supports 34 carry boards as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 4. v

. The running board structure A may be formed as a unit and. applied. to the car body and it forms a partior" the roof structure. As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the running board structure A serves as an attaching elementfor the, roof sec tions which cover the car body and which extend from the channels 12 tothe side walls, these roof sections being formed of flexible material:

such as tarpaulins 42.. lhe tarpaulins 42 are each secured to one or the channels 12 by batiten strips 44 and each thereof is connected by means of rings or'loops 416 to stay rods &8 whereby they may be shifted thereon to a position ad; jacent the running board to expose the interior of thecarbody for loading or unloading. The; stay rods 48 comprise, in "eflect, shiftablecarlins. and the rods on one sideoi the running board are; slightly staggered relation to those on the other side, as shown clearly in Fig. 1; Each stayrcd or carlin/iS extendsthroughthe spaced channels 12 andis of alength suincientl to extend from the running board structure tothe .top chords 8 of the side walls;andetheirfree ends are downwardly bent or flanged as at.50 to project through suitable openings formed in the top chords and said. flanged endsareprovided with fixed collars,52 to efiect proper positioning of said carlins. The opposite ends of the carlins are provided with stops 53 to preventcompleteremoval of the carlins from the channels. The flanged ends 50 of the carlins project throughjand be: low the horizontal flanges of the top chords 8,

' (see Fig.2) and through reinforced openingsb l formed in tabs 56 secured to the freeedge portions of the tarpaulinsdZ. To secure the tarpaulins in position such that-theycover the lading zone of the body and are prevented fromaccidental displacement; spring clips 58 or other suitable fastenersare provided at the endsof the tabs 56 which are adapted to be secured in openings formed in the hanged ends 50 0f the carlins as shown clearly inFig. 8. It willibe apparent that each tarpaulin 42 is provided witha plurality of rings 46 for engaging each of the carlins, a plurality of thelatter beingprovided. The drawend walls; the spring clips 58 being utilized to secure the tabs against ccidental displacement. If desired, the member fiil'inaybe'formed'of two or more independent sections connected together at adjacent edge portions by any suitable means, such as,-for example, snap fasteners. 'At the latitudinal running board the tarpaulin 42- is pro-'- vided with openings 64 adapted to fit around the brackets 38 and the adjacentportions of the tarpaulinare "adapted to overlap and besecured together by suitable fastening means such as snap fasteners 66. At this portion of the car a water shed element 68 is welded or otherwise se-- cured to the top chord 8 of the side wa11 t6 pre vent leakage'of water into the'ca body; I

.In use itwill be apparent from. the above description that when the tarpaulins 42 are con- 'nected to the rails 8 of the side walls the structure presents, in eifect, a box car or a car in which the lading zone is completely covered and the lad- "engagement with portions 50 of the oarlins 48 and stud bolts 62 whereupon thetabs 56 may be detached and the tarpaulins pushed on the carlins to the folded position illustrated clearly'in Fig.

'2; The carlins iefortheparticular side being opened are then removed from their engagement with the rails 8 of the side walls and then pushed inwardly, asshown in Fig. 2, thus fully exposing the car body at this side of the car.

., The present invention provides a simple and comparatively inexpensive construction for effecting closing of the normally open bodyof a rail-way car and-while thedrawings show cer-.

'tain constructions it is .tobe understood that they are forillustrative purposes only and various changes in the form and proportion off the construction maybe made withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spir it of the invention. 7 V J 1 1 What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a gondola can a running board structure, flexible roof=sections l;attached tothe running board structure and each of a size sufiicient to extend from said structure to-the sidewalls of the car whereby tocover the car lading zone, and stay rods to which the roof sections are slidably attachedsaid stay-rods being slidably supported by the running boardstructure and ofa length suiiicienttoextend to the top rails of the sidewalls of'the car. 1

2. In combination with a gondola car, arunningbcard structuresupported bythe end walls thereof and arranged at substantially the longi tudinal center zone of the-car, flexible root-sections attached to the running board. structure. and each of a size suiiicient to extend tothe sidewalls of the carto cover the lading zone,.and st ayrods to whichv the roof sections are slidably-attached slidably supported by the running bo ard structure and of a length suificient to extend to and detachably engage the top portions of thesidewalls'of thecar 3. In combination. with a: gondolacar, a flexible roof adapted to ,cover the lading zoneof the car, a'runningboard structure supported by the car and to which the roof issecured, and s tay rods to which the roof is secured slidably supported by the running board structure and adapted to detachably engage the upper portions ofthe side walls-of the car. 3

4. A flexible roof for gondola. carscomprising a running boardstructure, flexible roof sections secured to said structure and extending in opposite directions therefrom, and'stay rods slidably supported by the running board structure and extendingv in opposite directions therefrom for supportingtheroof sections. i 1. 5. In-combination with a gondola-car, means for covering the lading zone thereof comprising a running-board structuregsupported by thecar,

stay rods slidably supported by saidxstructureand of a size suffi cient to extend to and lap thej'upper portions of the side walls of the car, and flexible closure means secured to the roof sections at the end portions thereof and having means for attachment to the end walls of the car. 7

6. In combination with a gondola. car, a running board structure, stay rods slidably supported by said structure and extending in opposite directions therefrom, said rods having their outer end portions downwardly flanged to extend through the top portions of the side walls of the car, flexible roof sections secured to the running board structure and extending in opposite directions therefrom, means slidably connecting the flexible roof sections to said stay rods, and fastening means secured to said flexible roof sections and adapted to engage the extended end portions of the stay rods.

'7. A railway car of the kind described comprising a body having side and end walls, a running board arranged at substantially the longitudinal center zone of the car body, supporting elements for said running board secured to the top portions of the end walls, supplemental supporting elements for the running board secured to the car bottom, flexible root sections secured to the run-,

tions therefrom withtheir outer end portions extended through the top portions of the side walls ofthe car, means slidably connecting said flexi-' bleiroof sections to said carlins, fastening elements secured to the flexible roof sections and adapted to engage the extended end portions of said carlins, and fiexible'end closures secured to thebefore-mentioned roof sections and having means for attachment to theend Walls of the car.

JOSEPH C. ABEL. 

